Well…..my answer will probably be different from most, but here goes. We registered for 10 place settings of everyday dishes when we got married (a place setting being dinner plate, salad plate, soup bowl, tea cup, saucer). We also got 15 place settings of china, which we use, but rarely. After 11 years, I have broken 2 of my salad plates for my everyday dishes, leaving me with 8 full place settings. So we can have a family of four to dinner and not have to break out paper. BUT, when my kids were toddlers, I purchased some plastic, sectioned plates from Target along with some small plastic bowls from Ikea. I bought 6 sectioned plates, and the bowls came in a set of 8 or 10, I can’t remember. So, most days, my kids use the plastic stuff during lunch. Or when we have company over who happen to have small children, we give those children the plastic and still have enough place settings for all the adults and older children.
I don’t typically buy paper plates. We did have 22 here for Thanksgiving, so I got pretty, fall paper plates, but that was simply because I WAS NOT about to wash dinner, salad, and dessert plates for 22 people! I don’t like all the trash that paper creates. The dishes we received when we married were $45/place setting. That sounds like a lot, but we’ve been married 11 years and using them daily and two broken ones in the span of that time doesn’t seem like a lot to me. Funny thing is that I’m the one who broke both of them–no the children!
missceegee uses Corielle (sp?), and she’s got tons. They’re practically indestructible and are very inexpensive. Even if one did happen to break, it would not be hard to replace, unless the pattern was discontinued or something. I think that might be a good option for us in the future when my kids are doing more dishes. I’m slowly starting to get rid of the plastic plates. My kids are 8.5 and almost 10, and are much more careful now than when they were 3 and 4.
I do love me some dishes though! I worked in bridal registry before I was married, so I sort of developed a dishes crush. I would have 4-5 sets if space would allow it! 